Preparation of fishing tackle prior to the start of a fishing trip is something all fishermen go through. Tying flies, assembling lures, segregating hooks of various sizes, collecting spools of fishing line of various weights, etc. is conventional. It is time-consuming but the time spent is not a burden to the fishermen because it is not time taken away from fishing.
The problem of connecting fishing tackle or various pieces of fishing equipment to a fishing line while the fisherman is trying to fish is a frustrating chore in the field. Connecting a sinker, a float, a marker, a lure or the like to a fishing line in a rocking boat, during wet and cold conditions, is not an easy chore. Indeed, tying the right kind of knot to attach the line to a particular piece of fishing tackle is something learned over years of practice, not easily learned by a novice fisherman. This is a particular problem for young children and people with arthritic fingers.
What is needed in the field is a quick and simple apparatus to assist a fisherman in mounting a piece of fishing tackle to a fishing line without having to tie a knot. An example of such apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,034 which discloses a mounting system where a free end of the fishing line is clamped between a pair of converging metal parts of a wire form and then a plurality of loops encircle the double-thickness of wire.
A similar means for attaching fishing tackle to a fishing line without a knot is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,011 which discloses doubling a length of the line and hooking the folded portion around a metal hook portion of an attachment and looping the double line around an extended wire portion.
Two other U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,117,574 and 4,649,664 disclose an attachment mechanism which could be used for attaching a fishing line to a piece of fishing equipment without tying knots, but each of them requires insertion of the fishing line through apertures in the attachment unit and in cold, wet weather with a rocking boat, this is not a solution to the identified problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,276 discloses a unique structure for attaching a fish hook to a fishing line without tying a knot at the time of the attachment. It does have a knot tied into the line, but it is clear from a reading that the knots are tied before the fishing trip is started.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,014 discloses attaching a fishing lure to a fishing line by inserting the line through some openings in the lure and then crimping the inserted line between a pair of converging surfaces, but the problem of performing that function in a rocking boat is not a solution to the problem being discussed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,220 involves inserting the fishing line through openings in the fishing tackle and crimping an element to the end of the line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,556 discloses a fishing lure with a plurality of locations for attachment of the fishing line and the purpose is to control the depth of the lure below the surface of the water, depending upon the location of the fishing line attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,354 discloses attaching a thread to a spinning core by confining the thread in a V-shaped groove where the sides of the groove are textured to cause high friction.